SHOW REVIEW: INFOCOMM 2014
The upward attendance trend continued at InfoComm 2014
Sunshine on Vegas
The mood at InfoComm 2014 was as sunny as the weather, with a significant increase in visitors and a real feeling of optimism abroad. Paddy Baker reports
It’s traditional to begin show reports with the attendance figures, and InfoComm 2014 attracted 37,048 people through its doors. This represents an increase of 5.5% on InfoComm 2013, and is also a higher figure than for the show two years ago when it was last in Las Vegas. Perhaps more important than the raw numbers, though, was the general mood. Many exhibitors reported high numbers of visitors and leads at their stands, and optimism was the order of the day with economic conditions
improving in the US and further afield. For instance, Ali Haghjoo,
CEO of Hall Research, said: “For us, it’s been our best InfoComm ever as far as booth traffic goes. Some of our guys haven’t had the time to grab a bite. The economy is showing signs of steady recovery. We crawled out of the recession – we’re now on our feet and running. There’s pent-up demand in the market.”
4K
As you might have expected, 4K was a recurrent theme
on many of the exhibitors’ stands. However, some exhibitors expressed dissatisfaction with the way the technology is being presented to the market currently. “Everyone’s dying to tell you they’ve got 4K when it doesn’t exist yet,” said Tim Brooksbank, chairman of Calibre UK. “They’re scared to admit that real, proper, professional standard 4K at 60fps that can go down a single cable, without compromising colour depth, isn’t here yet.” Some companies were showing 4K60 products,
VOX POPS: WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT INFOCOMM THIS YEAR?
“This one has a buzz. It’s not as big a show as ISE, but there’s a positive vibe. People are talking to people, everyone’s more optimistic.” Peter Pauwels, director corporate AV, Barco
“There’s a lot more talk about the convergence of IT and AV, and the need for each side to recognise the value that the
18 July 2014
other brings to the table. They can’t operate independently any more – each side needs the other.” Phil Sanchez, senior communications and PR manager, QSC
‘This was the first InfoComm where it was clear that IP is being adopted and recognised as the standard, preferred
interface for distributing video through AV systems. This has been driven primarily by the added influence that IT managers now have on purchasing decisions, as they often control budgets, as well as the increased comfort level AV integrators are feeling with IT-based solutions.’ Jed Deame, VP marketing, RGB Spectrum
“At previous InfoComms, we’ve sometimes tested the waters with product launches, trying new technology areas or reaching down into new markets. This year, our key launches – the Tannoy CMS 3.0 ceiling speaker and the Lab. gruppen D series amp – play to the strengths of the brands.” Mark Flanagan, VP marketing, install and tour, TC Group
“The show keeps getting stronger and the organisation continues working to keep up, meeting the convergence of AV/IT; IT presents a lot of opportunities for the pro AV world. In comparison to Orlando last year, people often travel from further afield to get to Vegas.” Penny Sitler, advertising manager, Draper
www.installation-international.com
however. Barco’s new E2 image screen processor (see page 41) can manage a 4K projector blend with refresh rates up to 60Hz. CE labs presented its Series 7 4K60 digital signage player, and Analog Way announced that a forthcoming firmware upgrade to its switchers and scalers running on the LiveCore platform that would enable a 4K60 signal to run over a single HDMI cable. Among the companies with
4K projectors were Digital Projection, which launched the Insight laser 4K mode (see page 40), and Barco,
with its HDQ4K35 rental and staging model. To highlight its 4K certification programme, Crestron brought its Digial Media lab to the InfoComm showfloor, showing how and why some big-name 4K products don’t always work together, and showing how its new cable exceeds the ‘under one bit error per billion’ benchmark required by the HDMI specification. Meanwhile, Lightware
presented its end-to-end 4K30 solution that has been shipping for over a year. “We’ve installed them in many different scenarios,” commented international sales manager Dave Jones.
NETWORKING Networking is becoming a larger part of the AV world with every tradeshow. I can hardly think of any exhibitor I talked to for which IP connectivity, remote
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